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An alien called Qatai heads straight for what looks like a large space anomaly. |  |
 | He growls at it: "Surprised? What's wrong? Can't figure out why I'm still not running, eh? Go ahead, attack! Take my ship! Ship, hold together!" He takes his ship into the anomaly. |
 | Janeway arrives on the Bridge. Chakotay and Tuvok are at Tuvok's station. She asks sceptically: "Wormhole?" |
 | Tuvok: "Approximately 400 million kilometres from our current position."
Chakotay: "Take a look at the transkinetic vector." Janeway: "It leads to Sector 001." Chakotay: "It looks like a wormhole but we're detecting massive bio-plasmic activity." Janeway: "That suggests a lifeform. Neutrino flux?" Chakotay: "Erratic." Janeway: "A direct route to Earth's doorstep, out of the blue. What's wrong with this picture?" Chakotay: "We should launch a probe." Janeway: "Go to yellow alert. Prepare a class-5 probe. Let's see what's really out there." |
Seven: "Daily log, Seven of Nine. While we've failed to locate a new source of deuterium, our mission had educational value for at least one member of the crew."
 | Naomi Wildman: "If you go looking for deuterium tomorrow, can I come?"
Paris: "That's up to the Captain." Seven: "It's likely you'll be replaced by a more experienced officer." Naomi: "But this is my first away mission and I didn't get to do anything." Seven: "I disagree. You familiarised yourself with this vessel." Naomi: "Can't we make first contact with somebody? Or get in a space battle?" Paris: "Yeah, can't we?" Seven: "Another time perhaps." Paris: "Hey, Naomi. Wanna take the helm?" Naomi: "Can I?" Seven rebukes him: "Ensign." Paris: "She'll be familiarising herself with the vessel." |
 | Naomi sits at the helm. "Here. Ok. First, bring us up to one quarter impulse - hit this control then that one."
Naomi: "One quarter impulse, aye." Paris: "Now, you think you can chart a course back to Voyager?" Naomi: "Yes, sir!" |
 | Back on Voyager... |
 | Two crewmembers, a male and a female, rush past the returning members of the away team.
Paris: "They're in a hurry." Seven, disapprovingly: "Crewmen Boylan and White - frequently late for their duty shifts." Paris: "Speaking of late. I'll make a deal with you: I'll explain to Sam why her daughter's two hours late for bedtime if you start on the survey report." Seven: "Acceptable." Paris: "Have fun." |
 | Seven enters the Astrometrics Lab.  standard doors She is surprised to find other crewmembers there.
Janeway: "You're back. I was beginning to worry." Seven: "The survey took longer than expected." Chakotay: "Lucky our deuterium shortage is no longer an issue." Seven: "A wormhole?" Kim: "The wormhole - it leads all the way back to Earth." Seven: "The odds of finding such a phenomenon are infinitesimal." Janeway: "Never bet against the house." |
 | Seven goes to a console and starts tapping buttons.
Kim: "What are you doing?" Seven: "Looking for anomalous readings." Tuvok: "You will find none." Chakotay: "He's right. No subspatial contortions, no temporal variance." Janeway: "The probe we sent in has already picked up faint signals from the other side." Kim: "B'Elanna's still downloading them but she's pretty sure they're from Starfleet." Seven: "This wormhole is only 300 million kilometres away. Long-range scans should've detected it days ago." Tuvok: "Perhaps it was an oversight on your part." Janeway: "If it'll make you feel better, run a diagnostic. In the meantime, let's maintain course." They go, leaving Seven checking their readings and looking concerned. |
| Janeway is tidying away a number of PADDs on her desk when the door signal sounds. door signal "Come in." standard doors Seven enters.
Seven: "I've completed my diagnostic. Sensors are operating at peak efficiency." Janeway: "Then there's nothing to worry about." Seven: "On the contrary. The wormhole's neutrino levels are extremely erratic." Janeway: "I thought so too, until I received this - turns out those faint signals we detected were communiqués from Starfleet. They assure me the neutrino flux is nothing to worry about." Seven: "Starfleet may be in error. We should run further scans." Janeway: "No time. The wormhole might destabilise." Seven: "The Doctor often instructs me to 'look before I leap'. It is an antiquated adage but I believe it is relevant." Janeway: "I've another one for you: 'he who hesitates is lost'." Seven: "Captain-" Janeway: "I think you're avoiding the real issue here, Seven. Are you still feeling uncomfortable about returning to the Alpha Quadrant. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Trust me: you're going to thrive on Earth just as you thrived on Voyager." The door signal sounds. door signal "Yes?" standard doors
Chakotay enters with a PADD. Chakotay: "Letter number 2. I'm getting jealous." Quickly Janeway starts to read it: "Mark. Apparently his engagement was broken off. What about you, any news?" Chakotay: "A full pardon and reinstatement to Starfleet. I've even been offered a professorship in anthropology at the Academy." Janeway: "Oh, Chakotay, congratulations. But it's not fair." Chakotay: "Don't worry. It's only part-time." Janeway: "How am I expected to run the ship without you?" Chakotay: "You'll do fine." Seven feels increasingly concerned at the turn of the conversation - the futures of both Janeway and Chakotay look too bright and they are uncharacteristically too eager to take the wormhole home to take the sensible action and investigate it further first. |
 | In Cargo Bay 2, her quarters, Seven stands at the computer console.
Seven: "Computer, access all log entries recorded by Janeway on stardate 52542." Computer: "Access to those files is restricted." |
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Seven walks across the room, removes an wall access panel, adjusts the circuitry within, and returns to her station as the computer reports: "Access granted."
Seven: "Play first log entry." Computer: "Captain's log, stardate 52542.3. Long-range sensors have identified a wormhole leading to the Alpha Quadrant. Unfortunately, secondary scans have revealed that it's some kind of elaborate deception. The question is: who's attempting to deceive us and why?" Seven: "Play next log entry." Computer: "Captain's log, supplemental. We've begun to receive faint telemetry from our probe. I don't want to get the crew's hopes up, but B'Elanna thinks it may be a message from Starfleet. I'm beginning to wonder if my earlier scepticism was justified." Seven: "Play next log entry." Computer: "Captain's log, supplemental. I've set a course for the wormhole. With any luck, we should be back in the Alpha Quadrant within a matter of days." |
| Neelix hurries after Seven in a corridor and catches her up.
Neelix: "Annika? Annika Hansen?" Seven: "There is no one here by that name." Neelix: "Are you sure? Because I have a letter here addressed to her. I never realised you knew anyone from the Alpha Quadrant." Seven: "I don't." Neelix: "Well, looks like someone knows you. Who's it from?" Seven reads the PADD. "Claudia Hansen. She claims to be a sister of my father." Neelix: "Your aunt." Seven: "She is looking forward to meeting me." Neelix: "That's great!" He tells her that Starfleet has appointed him ambassador to a particular Sector. (Actual words are: "Starfleet's appointed me ambassador to the Lantowan Sector." Unsure of spelling of the sector name, not in sources.) Seven: "Ambassador?" Neelix: "I guess they thought I'd have a flare for quadrupeds!" He leaves, still excited. Seven goes to the Messhall. It is full of excited crewmembers, swapping news with each other of the promotions and other opportunities they can expect when they get home. Seven goes to the serving counter where she sees Paris in the Galley, helping himself to a meal. Seven: "Ensign. I require a moment of your time." Paris: "Sure." Seven: "Have you noticed anything unusual about the crew's behaviour since we returned?" Paris: "Like?" Seven: "When I presented the Captain with evidence that the wormhole might not be what it appears to be, she seemed unconcerned." Paris: "Really? That doesn't sound like her." Seven: "I believe the crew is being deceived by false telemetry as well as by overly optimistic correspondence." Paris: "The letters from home? I got one too." Seven: "No doubt containing good news." Paris: "I'll say. An old buddy of mine offered me a spot at the new test flight centre in Australia - beautiful beaches and the chance to pilot the latest experimental ships. Can't believe it." Seven: "You doubt the veracity of the letters as well." Paris: "Are you kidding? I've already written back and accepted the job." |
        
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